Pharmaceutical package



Oct. 15, 1935. c H|| GENBERG 2,017,800

.' PHARMACEUTICAL PACKAGE F'iledDeC. 11, 1954 WATER TO THIS LINEPatented a. 15, 1935 I 2,017,800 PHARMACEUTICAL PACKAGE Carl G.Hilgenberg, Baltimore, Md, assignor to Carr-Lowrey Glass 00., Baltimore,Md.

Application December 11, 1934, Serial No. 757,051 Claims. (Cl. 206-47)This invention relates primarily to a combination of medicine vial orbottle and eye cup, the same being assembled to form a package adaptedto be delivered to the trade as such and whereby 5 the user will have athand an eye cup of large capacity and a container for a medicinalpreparation, a portion of the contents of which can be placed in the eyecup with water or other liquid, thoroughly and easily mixed, andthereafter applied in the usual way to the eye.

Heretofore it has been the practice to form eye cups of pressed glass.These cups have been of small capacity and it was not possible readilyto mix the treatment material in the cup. In-

stead any necessary mixing has been done before the mixture has beenplaced in the cup.

Furthermore it has not been possible to combine with an eye cup a bottleor other container holding medicine to be used. Instead such containersand the eye cups have been packed and sold separately. This has greatlyincreased the cost to the consumer because of the separate handling andpacking which has been necessary.

An object of this invention is to sell as a complete package an eye cuphaving suflicient capacity to permit convenient mixing of theingredients therein, the eye cup serving as a holder, and a protectorfor a bottle or vial nested therein, whereby a compact package can bemade of the two parts.

A further object is to provide an eye cup so pro portioned as to holdthe inner container properly positioned therein against lateral movementso as to be protected, during shipment or while 5 being handled, by thesurrounding eye cup.

A still further object is to provide an eye cup so proportioned thatwhen it is inverted the vial or other container therein will beprevented by suction from falling freely out of the eye cup 40 but will,on the contrary, be retained within the inverted cup until ampleopportunity has been afforded for the user to grasp the inner containerand remove it.

Another object is to provide an eye cup which 45 can be produced in anordinary bottle blowing machine, thereby greatly reducing the cost ofproduction as compared with the pressed glass eye cups generally used.

With the foregoing and other objects in view 50 which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the

invention consists of certain novel details of construction andcombinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed outin the claims, it being understood that changes may be made 55 in theconstruction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spiritof the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has beenshown.

In said drawing I Figure 1 is a front elevation of the pharmaceuticalpackage constituting the present invention, the same being on anenlarged scale.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3, Figure 2. 10

Figure 4 is an elevation of the inner container.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, l designates aglass container which can be blown toany desired shape and size and isprovided with a contracted neck portion 2 at the 15 top thereof whichisintegral with the base portion of a trough-like cup 3. The free edge 4of this cup is rounded and shaped to fit snugly around the eye of aperson.

The opening 5 which extends from the bottom 0 of the cup 3 through theneck 2 to the interior of the container I is straight and of a diameterslightly greater than that of a slender inner container 6 which can bein the form of a bottle or vial provided at one end with a removableclos- 25 ure 1. Normally this inner container rests at its bottom withincontainer I while its other end is supported within the cup 3 and canproject a short distance therefrom as shown if desired.

It is intended to place in the inner container a medicinal preparationadapted to be mixed with water or other fluid which can be placed in theouter container l. The package as sold consists only of the outer andinner members, the inner member only containing the medicinalpreparation to be used. As the inner container is fitted snugly withinthe opening 5 it will be held properly centered in the outer containerand will form a compact structure which can be easily wrapped, storedand handled. Should the structure be inverted a suction would be set upwithin the container I which would prevent or at least greatly retardthe movement of the inner container out of the eye cup. Consequentlythere would be no danger of inadvertently upsetting the device anddropping theinner container out of the outer container.

When it is desired to use the invention the inner container is pulledfrom the outer container with sufficient force to overcome the suctioncreated. Water or other fluid is then placed in the container I and ifdesired a suitably designated line 8 can be displayed on this containerto show the level to which the liquid should be brought,

Thereafter a proper amount of the contents of container 6 is poured intocontainer I. This amount can be determined, if desired, by providinggraduations 9 on container 6 to indicate the amount to be dispensed foreach dose. Following the foregoing operation the palm of the handgrasping the structure is placed over the eye cup so as to seal theopening in the top thereof. The user then violently shakes the eye cupand as the container I is only partly filled and communicates throughthe opening 5 with the cup 3, ample space is provided in which theliquid contents can be agitated to insure thorough mixing. Thereafterthe eye cup is applied in the usual-way to the face so as to cover theeye and cause the liquid contents of the cup to fiow to the surfacesunder treatment.

After the cup has been used it is emptied and washed and the innercontainer 6 is then forced down into opening 5 to the position shown inFigures 1 and 3 whereupon the operation heretofore described can berepeated.

What is claimed is:

1. A pharmaceutical package including an inner container, a closuretherefor, and an outer container having a restricted neck portion and aneye cup extending from the neck portion, said inner container beingremovably and snugly seated within the neck portion and extending intothe outer container and eye cup.

2. A pharmaceutical package including an inner container having aclosure, and means for surrounding and protecting said container, saidmeans including an outer container, a restricted neck portion and an eyecup all formed in one piece, said inner container fitting snugly withinthe neck portion and being slidable therein to create a suction withinthe outer container and retard withdrawal of the inner container.

3. A pharmaceutical package including a container having a closure, andmeans for protecting and holding said container, said means including anouter container, an eye cup, and a restricted neck portion connectingthe outer container and eye cup, there being an opening extendingthrough the neck portion from the eye cup to the container, the diameterof said opening being such as to provide a close sliding lit for theinner container.

4. A device of the class described including an outer container, an eyecup, a restricted neck integral with and interposed between the outercontainer and the eye cup and having an opening therethrough throughwhich the eye cup and the container communicate, and an inner containerhaving a snug sliding fit Within the opening and removably seated in theouter container and eye cup.

5. A device of the class described including an outer container, an eyecup, a restricted portion or neck connecting the container and eye cupand having an opening through which the eye cup and containercommunicate, and an inner container removably seated in the outercontainer and eye cup and held centered therein by the neck portion. 1.

CARL G. HILGENBERG.

